Originally Posted by
Non-NonRev
The BW review points out the difficult issues when an aging grande dame is not properly restored. In the 1970s, all funds were devoted to the construction of the Beverly wing, with little left over to rehabilitate the old building. Subsequent owners have just applied band-aids, and the neglect is catching up with them.
If you go back to the ime when the BW was The Regent Beverly Wilshire, the Wilshire Wing was THE place to stay. It had all the hallmarks of Georg Rafael and Co - great room/suite amenities, such as 3-tiered glass boxes containing fresh strawberries in one, cream in another and sugar in the third. Very nice decor, too, with a touch of Asia.
The 1980s and early 1990s were when this hotel really shone. It started going downhill when they closed the corner Café (where Ronald Reagan used to go for lunch) and sold the site to a retail group. It has never been quite the same since then.
Radha Arora, when he was GM, was the one who started renovating the Beverly Wing. The big suites there are superb. Ben Trodd took over from Radha when he became President of Rosewood, but nothing appears to have progessed since then, which I suspect demotivates staff. It usually does.